7 Secret Shortcuts for Writing Great Headlines

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

The headline is the first thing that catches a reader’s eye. Nobody (except for judges in advertising competitions) will read your entire post or ad unless the headline does its job.

If you’re stuck for ideas, here are seven headline tips and formulas that make creating headlines easy.

1. Start with a number

People love lists. They promise knowledge, quick help, and understanding of complex problems— in a format that’s easy to read and digest.

2. Ask readers if they make common mistakes

A headline asking if readers made “these common mistakes in English” was a bit direct mail hit long ago. Ask your readers if they make these common design mistakes, or web development errors.

3. Offer a quiz

It’s fun to test your knowledge, especially if it’s a contest. Have your readers see how well they do on common (or uncommon tests of grammar, design, or photography tricks.

4. Make a big promise

Offer to get rid of [horrible problem] once and for all. Or, a quick, easy way to do something hard.: Get a web site that’s impressive and easy!

5. Offer inside information or big savings

Everything you need to know to get cheaper software, or how to (do something that’s usually expensive) on a budget.

6. Create an especially large list

This is particularly effective in social media or blog posts you want bookmarked or shared. List 51 design tools under $50, or 27 free marketing ideas. The longer the list, the more important it appears.

7. List the best (or the worst) examples

“The best software under $50,” or “The worst marketing email. Ever. ” Why is that software so great? And what made that email so awful? The only way to learn the answer is to read the article.

What are your best sources of inspiration for headlines? Share them in the comments.

And how many of the headline formulas did I use in this post?

Six Emotional Triggers Every Marketer Should Know

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

What are emotional triggers?

Emotional triggers are words that generate an emotional, visceral response—a reaction that comes without a lot of analysis or thought, just straight from the lizard brain.

Emotional triggers work by building a connection that will prompt people to act. That’s why they’ve been used by copywriters for years, because they increase responses.

What are these emotional triggers?

And why are they so powerful?

Here’s a list of them.

One: Greed

Because people want something for nothing, or to get something they don’t have. That’s why “free” works so well.

If you offer investment advice, you’ll get a better response from saying, “I help people get rich and retire early, even in an economic downturn.” than you would if you just said, “Oh I help people manage their stocks and bonds and other investments.”

The first one certainly gets people’s attention. The second one is dull and doesn’t really say anything to anybody that tells them why they should really care about what it is that you do.

Two: Fear

People are afraid they won’t get promoted, or they will lose their jobs, or won’t do well as a new parent.

The fear here is people who are worried they won’t have enough money for retirement. So offer them something that gets their attention and appeals to this particular fear, such as:

Do you have enough money for retirement? Take this 30-second quiz and find out!

(That’s both an attention getter, and a call to action)

Three: Guilt

Guilt is effective, particularly for nonprofits or pitches to parents, because people want the best for their children or want to help others who are less fortunate.

Four: Exclusivity or scarcity

This works because people like to have things that other people don’t have.

If something is a limited offer, or only 100 will be made, it appeals to people’s desire to stand out from their neighbors, or to have something special and unique that few other people can own.

Five: Anger

When people are mad about something they often want to act.

If they’re mad about high oil prices, or a proposal to put a big, smelly landfill two blocks from their homes, they will get excited, they will get mad and want to do something to stop it.

So, they will pay more attention to your mailing or your ad if you’re telling them how they can do something about it.

Six: Problem-solving

It doesn’t have to be a big problem. It can be a small problem, such as digging through your whole purse or lots of pockets to find your keys. Or, it can be how to set up a blog when you don’t have a lot of technical skills.

Photo: gemsling

Never-Fail Tips for Writing Headlines in Advertising

Link

(Photo credit: NS Newsflash)

Why are headlines in advertising so important anyway? They’re the first thing the reader sees when he or she looks at your ad or your marketing letter. This is your big chance to get attention, so take advantage of it. How do you do that? Here are some never-fail headline writing tips.

Promise something big

How a Single Stamp Earned me $85,392.00.
Lose 30 Pounds in 20 Days

Use the word “new”, “introducing” or “announcing”

People like to know the latest news and information. It also works because many people want to be the first to know (or get) something.

“United Airlines Introduces Something Shockingly Amazing… Nothing”
(its e-ticketing system)
Announcing a Painless Way to Save for Retirement

Reveal the “best” or the “worst” examples of something

The World’s Worst Dieting Advice
The Best Celebrity Beach Bodies
7 Reasons Mac is Better than PC
(controversy is good too).

Promise secret information

Secrets of Warren Buffet’s Success
Hollywood Dieting Secrets Revealed

Use the words “how” or “how to”

How to Retire at Age 40
How Your Business Can Thrive in a Recession

Talk to a specific audience

Important Information for Medicare Recipients
Attention Cat Owners

Offer a solution

Cut Your Phone Bill by 38%
Start Blogging in 5 Minutes

Try one. See how much attention you get (and don’t forget to report back and share).

This One Word Can Improve Your Marketing Strategy

Posted on October 24, 2008 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

In the 1970s, I was volunteered by my mom to help hand out voting literature for The League of Women Voters. I don’t have exact figures, but I noticed that more people took the materials when we asked “Are you going to vote?” than when we said, “Do you want some literature? ”

What does voting have to do with marketing?

Making a public commitment increases the chances that someone will do something. In fact, according to a recent Marketing Sherpa article (October 14, 2008), a social scientist named Anthony Greennwald conducted a scientific survey of this phenomenon in 1987.

He found that if he asked potential voters on the eve of the election whether they would vote (and why or why not), they all said they would, and 86.7% of them actually did, compared to 61.5% of the general populace.

IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY: Just say yes

If you want people to donate to your cause, have them stand up and say so. If you use an order form in your direct marketing package, put a big “YES!, I want to order” at the top.